Night of the Clan Extermination 2

"Bang—"

A distress flare exploded above the Uchiha compound, its vivid red light illuminating the entire sky of Konoha.

Immediately following, a second, a third, a fourth...

Successive signal flares rose from various corners of the Uchiha district, detonating one after another in the night sky. The undulating red light made the entire village of Konoha shine as if it were day.

Even from the station of the Uchiha Police Force, flares were launched into the air.

That was a cry for help from the very force touted as the defensive line of Konoha.

Konoha was thoroughly alarmed.

In the Hyuga compound, Hyuga Hiashi stood on his roof in his pajamas, watching the flares rising from the direction of the Uchiha, his face ashen.

"Father, that is..." his eldest daughter, Hyuga Hinata, asked in a small voice from beside him.

"Go back to sleep." Hyuga Hiashi cut her off, turned, and leaped off the roof.

He returned to his room and closed the door, his hands still trembling.

Hyuga's wife, the elders of the Main House, the elders of the Branch House, and several core clansmen had all rushed over.

"Clan Head, over at the Uchiha..."

"I know." Hyuga Hiashi sat in the seat of honor, his voice heavy. "We can do nothing. This is the order of the Hokage."

"But that fellow Sarutobi... that is the Uchiha clan! Since the Senju clan vanished, now it is the Uchiha's turn, then..."

"Shut up!" Hyuga Hiashi snapped sternly. "Do you want the Hyuga clan to be exterminated as well?"

The room fell into silence. Everyone lowered their heads; no one dared to speak again.

The Ino-Shika-Cho trio—Yamanaka, Akimichi, and Nara.

"Inoichi." His wife walked out from the room. "That is the Uchiha..."

Yamanaka Inoichi stood in the courtyard, watching the distant flares, his expression grim. "I know."

"Should we..."

"No." Yamanaka Inoichi shook his head. "The Hokage has not issued an order; we cannot move."

He walked back into the house and sat on the sofa, covering his face with his hands. This man, who had remained unflinching even during the Great Ninja War, found his hands trembling at this moment.

Akimichi Choza had been idle lately and was eating potato chips in the night air. Hearing the sound of the flares, he dropped the bag and walked to the doorway.

Seeing the red firelight in the direction of the Uchiha, his hand shook, and the bag of chips fell to the ground.

"Choza." His wife walked over and took his hand.

"I'm fine." Akimichi Choza forced a smile. "It's nothing."

But his eyes betrayed him; within them were anger, helplessness, and deep-seated fear.

Nara Shikaku had been standing on his roof since returning from work, holding a flask of sake and watching the direction of the Uchiha.

"Shikaku, stop drinking." His wife called out from below.

"Let me have some peace."

Nara Shikaku tilted his head back and took a swig of sake, his eyes complex. As the strategist of Konoha, he knew more than the others. He knew what would happen tonight, he knew what decisions Danzo and the Third had made, and more importantly, he knew that he could change nothing.

"Shikaku." His wife called again.

"I know, I'm coming down."

Nara Shikaku jumped off the roof, but before entering the house, he looked back toward the Uchiha district one last time.

Another flare rose into the air and exploded in the night sky, like a blood-red flower.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, though he did not know who he was apologizing to.

In the civilian residential area, many ordinary villagers also stepped out of their homes, watching the distant firelight.

"What is that?"

"It looks like the Uchiha compound."

"What happened?"

"I don't know, is it an enemy attack?"

"Then what should we do? Should we go help?"

"Are you stupid? It's so far away, do you want to go there and die?"

"But the Hokage should be sending people, right?"

"He definitely will. Lord Third is the strongest Hokage, don't worry."

The villagers discussed it in hushed tones; most were just watching the spectacle, while a few wore expressions of worry.

An old woman who sold vegetables looked toward the Uchiha district and sighed.

"What a sin," she whispered, then turned back into her house and closed the door.

Next door lived a retired Chunin who had participated in the Third Great Ninja War and had fought side-by-side with the Uchiha. He stood at his doorway, watching the flares, his fists clenched so tightly they creaked.

"Damn it..."

But he did not move! He dared not!

In the Inuzuka clan compound, Inuzuka Tsume was walking her dogs in the courtyard when she heard the signal flare. She immediately leaped onto the wall, looking toward the Uchiha district.

"Mom, what happened?" her daughter, Inuzuka Hana, ran out.

"Go back!" Inuzuka Tsume jumped down from the wall. "Close the door, lock it, and don't open it for anyone tonight, no matter who knocks."

"But the Uchiha side..."

"I said, go back!"

Inuzuka Tsume pushed her daughter into the house, shut the door, and slid the bolt home.

She crouched down, hugging her ninja hound, her whole body trembling. She knew what was happening over there, and she also knew she couldn't save anyone.

Aburame Shikuroo's insects told him that the Uchiha compound was being slaughtered. Standing in his basement, he already knew everything through the perception of his insects.

The insects had seen the chakra of the one doing the deed—it was Uchiha Itachi. There were also fluctuations of other people's chakra, the very people Aburame Shikuroo loathed the most, even if some of his own clansmen were among them.

"Clan leader, what should we do?" a clansman asked.

"Do nothing," Aburame Shikuroo said. "This is not something we can interfere with."

"But..."

"There are no 'buts'," Aburame Shikuroo interrupted him. "Call all the insects back. Do not go out tonight."

He turned and walked into his room, closed the door, took off his glasses, and rubbed the bridge of his nose, muttering to himself: "Hiruzen, oh Hiruzen, you will regret this..."

Meanwhile, at the Hokage Building.

Sarutobi Hiruzen stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, pipe in mouth, watching the signal flare rising from the Uchiha district, his expression grim and terrifying.

"Damn Danzo!" He slammed his hand against the window frame. "He couldn't even keep the Uchiha under control! The signal flare is already in the sky; the entire Konoha has seen it!"

Behind him, Anbu members knelt across the floor, none daring to make a sound.

"What are you still standing there for!" Sarutobi Hiruzen turned and roared. "Issue the order! Konoha Anbu and Root are to head to the Uchiha compound for support immediately! No one else is to move, lest spies from other villages take advantage of the situation!"

"Yes!"

The Anbu departed swiftly.

Sarutobi Hiruzen turned back to look out the window, the embers in his pipe flickering. There was no anger on his face, only exhaustion and helplessness—or rather, a feigned exhaustion and helplessness.

"Hiruzen, what is the situation?" Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura pushed the door open and entered.

"The signal flare was fired; the entire village saw it," Sarutobi Hiruzen said coldly.

"What is going on with Danzo? Didn't he say it would be settled tonight?"

"Go ask him yourself," Sarutobi Hiruzen snorted. "I told you long ago, we couldn't rely entirely on his Root."

"It's useless to talk about that now," Mitokado Homura frowned. "The key is the aftermath. How do we explain tonight's events to the villagers?"

"The Uchiha clan, incited by spies, attempted an armed coup. It was discovered by Root, the coup failed, and they committed mass suicide," Sarutobi Hiruzen said. "That reason is sufficient."

"Do you think anyone will believe that?" Utatane Koharu asked in return.

"Whether they believe it or not is irrelevant," Sarutobi Hiruzen turned to look at them. "What matters is that they won't dare to ask."

The room fell silent for a few seconds.

"There is one more thing," Mitokado Homura said. "With the signal flare from the Uchiha side, other clans will certainly be watching. We must ensure they stay put."

"The order has already been given," Sarutobi Hiruzen said. "Anbu and Root are going to provide support; no one else is to move."

"What about Danzo?"

"I have ordered Root to join the extermination team to finish this as quickly as possible," Sarutobi Hiruzen took a deep drag of his pipe. "Tonight's business cannot drag on until dawn."

As he spoke, an Anbu pushed the door open: "Lord Hokage, Lord Danzo has sent word that there was an accident on the Uchiha side. Someone is resisting, and he is requesting reinforcements."

"It's still not finished?" Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression darkened further.

"Lord Danzo says... the Uchiha side seems to have sensed it in advance and prepared some countermeasures. Root has lost several men."

"Useless trash!" Sarutobi Hiruzen threw his pipe to the ground. "Tell Danzo to resolve this for me as quickly as possible! Before dawn, I want to see the results!"

"Yes!"

After the Anbu left, the room fell into silence once more.

In her youth, Utatane Koharu had a good private relationship with Kagami Uchiha. She looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen, wanting to speak but hesitating.

"Say what you want to say," Sarutobi Hiruzen said without turning back.

"Hiruzen, are we... really doing the right thing?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen turned his head, his eyes icy: "Do you think we have any way back now?"

Utatane Koharu did not speak.

"The Uchiha must be wiped out," Sarutobi Hiruzen turned back to look out the window. "This is for the stability of Konoha."

"But..."

"There are no 'buts'." Sarutobi Hiruzen cut her off, "You may leave; I need some quiet."

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura exchanged a glance, then turned and left.

Only Sarutobi Hiruzen remained in the room.

He stood before the window, watching the glow of fire in the direction of the Uchiha compound, his gaze complex.

He muttered to himself, "Master, Kagami... are you watching from above? Surely you would not blame me... everything I have done is for the sake of Konoha..."

He received no answer.

Because the voice of an Anbu operative rang out from outside once more.

"Lord Hokage! Something major has happened over at the Uchiha compound!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen spun around abruptly: "What is it?"

"A man named Uchiha Setsuna is using a sound-amplification ninjutsu above the Uchiha grounds. The entire village can hear him!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression shifted violently: "What did he say?!"

At the same time, the entire village of Konoha heard an aged, furious voice echoing from above the Uchiha compound, resounding through every corner of the village.

"Representing the will of the last remaining members of the Uchiha clan, I hereby strip Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Itachi of their status and expel them from the Uchiha clan!"

The voice carried an unquestionable majesty, every word driving into the hearts of the listeners like a nail.

"The Uchiha clan would rather die on the battlefield than have one of our own collude with outsiders to exterminate our kin!"

All of Konoha fell silent.

Everyone who heard the voice was stunned.

What had they just heard?

Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Itachi colluded with outsiders to exterminate their own clan?

The teacup in Hyuga Hiashi's hand fell to the floor, shattering into pieces.

His face turned deathly pale, and his entire body trembled.

"What... what did he say?"

Yamanaka Inoichi stood up from his sofa, his eyes wide as saucers.

"Uchiha Fugaku? Uchiha Itachi? That genius from the Anbu? How could it be him carrying out the order?!"

Akimichi Choza's bag of chips dropped to the floor, but he made no move to pick it up.

"Exterminating his own clan? The clan head and his son?"

The sake flask in Nara Shikaku's hand fell to the ground, spilling liquid everywhere.

He paid it no mind, standing there in a daze.

"So that's it... so that is how it was..."

The villagers in the civilian district were in an even greater uproar.

"What? It was the Uchiha themselves who did the killing?"

"That's impossible, right? Isn't Uchiha Itachi in the Anbu? How could he..."

"Colluding with outsiders? Who are these outsiders?"

"What does it mean when he says they colluded with outsiders to commit genocide?"

Inside the Hokage building, Sarutobi Hiruzen's face was as dark as the bottom of a pot.

"Damn that Uchiha Setsuna! How is he still alive?!"

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura rushed back in, their expressions equally grim.

"Hiruzen, what is going on? Wasn't Uchiha Setsuna on his deathbed long ago? Didn't the intelligence Uchiha Itachi sent back last time say he had been bedridden?"

"How should I know!" Sarutobi Hiruzen roared, "That useless fool Danzō couldn't even keep an eye on an old man!"

But the worst was yet to come.

Uchiha Setsuna's voice rang out once more: "Sarutobi Hiruzen, Shimura Danzō! You are truly the disciples of that petty man Senju Tobirama! Not only did you scheme to cause your own master's death and forge his final orders to seize the position of Hokage, but afterward, to keep your secrets, you plotted to exterminate the entire Senju clan!"

The entirety of Konoha erupted into chaos.

The extermination of the Senju clan?

Forged final orders?

Scheming to cause his own master's death?

Senju Tobirama was the Second Hokage, who died at the hands of Kinkaku and Ginkaku of the Cloud Village—this was clearly written in the history books of Konoha.

Now, this Uchiha Setsuna was claiming it was all a scheme?

Hyuga Hiashi's hands had begun to shake; he dared not listen further, but he had no way to cover his ears.

Nara Shikaku took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"It's over... the events of tonight can no longer be hidden... Konoha is also..."

Yamanaka Inoichi had used the Body Flicker Technique to reach the Nara compound in the adjacent district the moment Uchiha Setsuna began to speak. He turned his head to look at Nara Shikaku, his expression complex.

"Shikaku, is what he said true?"

Nara Shikaku did not speak, but his silence was the best answer.

Uchiha Setsuna's voice continued: "Sarutobi Hiruzen, Shimura Danzō! You two usurped your positions! For the sake of power, you colluded with Uchiha traitors to orchestrate the Nine-Tails Incident and backstab the Fourth Hokage! Afterward, you abused the Fourth's orphan, Uzumaki Naruto, just to vent your spite!"

"Now, to keep your secrets, you have plotted to exterminate my Uchiha clan, who founded Konoha alongside the Senju! You truly have surpassed your predecessors!"

This time, even the most ordinary villagers could not bear to listen.

"He... he said the Fourth Hokage was backstabbed?"

"The Nine-Tails Incident was caused by the Hokage and the others?"

"Uzumaki Naruto? That fox demon? He's the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki? How could he be the Fourth's orphan! I was cursing him just today!"

"The Fourth Hokage's son was abused? How did I never know he was the Fourth's orphan? I've seen many civilians insulting him constantly! This... this is too much, isn't it?"

Inuzuka Tsume rushed out of her house, standing in the courtyard with a livid expression as she stared toward the Hokage Building.

Inside Aburame Shikuroo's basement, the rustling of insects grew louder.

But his face was even paler than the insects.

"This time... Konoha might truly be finished..."

In the Hyuga clan compound, the wife of Hyuga Hiashi looked at her husband and asked cautiously, "Husband, what Uchiha Setsuna said..."

"Shut up!" Hyuga Hiashi barked, "We heard nothing!"

But he was trembling himself.

Because he knew that what Uchiha Setsuna said was likely all true.

Uchiha Setsuna's voice continued: "My Uchiha clan gave everything for Konoha! Now that my clan has been plotted against by villains and is on the verge of extinction, the people of Konoha look on with indifference! My Uchiha clan has done nothing to wrong Konoha; it is Konoha that has wronged my Uchiha clan!"

Those ninjas who had once fought side-by-side with the Uchiha on the battlefield lowered their heads—because they knew Uchiha Setsuna spoke the truth.

The Uchiha had indeed sacrificed much for Konoha: the First Shinobi World War, the Second, the Third... in every war, the Uchiha were always at the forefront.

But now, they were being wiped out! And in all of Konoha, no one came to save them.

"Uchiha clan, hear my order!" Uchiha Setsuna's voice carried a final, frantic edge. "Since Konoha is heartless, do not blame my Uchiha clan for being unrighteous! Every surviving member of the Uchiha, use whatever you can to make a clean break from Sarutobi Hiruzen's Konoha! Especially our Sharingan—do everything in your power to destroy the eyes of your fallen kin! Do not leave a single trace of our clan for these villains!"

At these words, Sarutobi Hiruzen finally snapped.

"Damn it! He wants to destroy all of the Uchiha's resources!" He turned and roared at the Anbu: "Quick! Go stop him! You cannot let him destroy the Uchiha's assets! Those belong to Konoha! The evil Uchiha clan has no right to do this!"

The Anbu rushed madly toward the Uchiha compound.

But it was already too late.

Uchiha Setsuna's final words echoed throughout all of Konoha: "My Uchiha clan, along with the Senju and Uzumaki, will be waiting for you—the Hyuga, the Ino-Shika-Cho, and the other clans—on the road to the Pure Land! Hahaha! Once we Uchiha are gone, Sarutobi will immediately turn his gaze toward you! I'm off!"

The laughter cut off abruptly.

In its place came the deafening roar of hundreds of explosive tags detonating at once.

"Boom—boom—boom—"

Boom...

Violent explosions erupted from the Uchiha compound, shaking all of Konoha. The light from the blasts illuminated half the sky, brighter and more blinding than the signal flares from before.

Sarutobi Hiruzen stood before the window, watching the sky-high flames, his face deathly pale.

Utatane Koharu slumped into her chair, muttering to herself: "It's over... it's all over..."

Mitokado Homura leaned his hands on the table, head bowed, his entire body trembling.

They all knew what it meant for Uchiha Setsuna's words to spread: it meant Konoha would be torn apart from within; it meant the Hokage's authority would vanish; it meant other villages would seize the opportunity to invade; and most of all, it meant everything they had meticulously planned had been for nothing.

But it wasn't over yet.

Following Uchiha Setsuna, the voice of another Uchiha clansman rang out, filled with the same despair and madness: "My Uchiha clan, along with the Senju and Uzumaki, will be waiting for you in the Pure Land! I'm off!"

"Boom—"

Another explosion.

"I'm going too! Sarutobi Hiruzen's lackeys! May you meet a miserable end!"

"Boom—boom—"

"Long live the Uchiha! We'll be waiting for Konoha to join us in the grave!"

"Boom—"

"Third! Danzō! I'll be waiting for you in the Pure Land!"

"Boom—boom—boom—"

Successive sounds of self-detonation echoed from every corner of the Uchiha compound. Each time a voice vanished, it was followed by several explosions—the surviving Uchiha were blowing themselves up.

They chose not to surrender, nor to flee, but to use their own lives to deliver one final, stinging slap to Konoha.

A seven or eight-year-old child, covered in blood, stood atop the ruins and screamed: "Mom and Dad are dead! My aunts and uncles are all dead! I hate Konoha! I hate Sarutobi Hiruzen! I hate all of you!"

Then, he activated the explosive tags on his body.

"BOOM—"

A young woman, her clothes already stained red with blood, sat on the ground clutching her dead child and shrieked, "My baby was only three months old! You wouldn't even spare an infant! Are you even human?!"

Then, she detonated herself.

"BOOM—"

An old man, his legs already severed, lay prone on the ground and used his final strength to scream, "Konoha! Third Hokage! Danzo! You will face retribution!"

"BOOM—BOOM—BOOM—"

The entirety of Konoha fell silent.

Everyone was listening to these sounds, listening to these desperate cries, listening to each and every explosion.

Within the Hyuga Clan compound, Hyuga Hiashi knelt on the ground, his hands pressed against the floor, his entire body trembling.

Behind him, several members of the Branch House were also shivering, for they knew that Uchiha Setsuna was right: without the Uchiha, the next in line would be the Hyuga—no, it would definitely be the Hyuga!

In the Yamanaka Clan compound, Yamanaka Inoichi held his daughter Ino, pulling her into his embrace without saying a word.

But his eyes were filled with nothing but fear and rage.

Akimichi Choza sat on the sofa, potato chips scattered all over the floor, but he had no appetite to eat.

He was simply thinking: If one day it becomes the turn of our Akimichi Clan, will anyone come to save us?

The answer was no.

The villagers in the civilian district were no longer gossiping at this moment.

Everyone had gone quiet.

Those who had once trusted the Hokage and the high-ranking officials of Konoha now wore expressions of utter bewilderment.

They no longer knew who to believe.

The old woman who sold vegetables closed her door, slid the bolt into place, and even pushed a table against it, as if that could block out the terror outside.

A retired Chunin crouched in the corner, head in his hands, weeping silently; he thought of his comrades who had died on the battlefield, and he thought of those Uchiha clansmen who had once fought side by side with him.

Now, they had all been betrayed.

Inside the Hokage Building, Sarutobi Hiruzen stood before the window, watching the firelight in the distance, his face ashen.

"Danzo! Where did you get the Senju Wood Style and those dozens of Uchiha Sharingan?!" Amidst the sound of the explosions, yet another earth-shattering piece of information spread throughout Konoha...